Stop Colds Before They Start: My Go-To Recipes!

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When a cold starts to make its way into our lives—be it a tickle in your throat or a child looking a little off—don’t fret! With a dash of garlic and the magic of honey, you can squash that cold before it manifests.

Here are my favorite ways to help our bodies that were recommended to me.🩷
These have helped us stay on top of those sneaky symptoms and promote immune health.

Be sure to consult with a healthcare provider for more personalized advice if it’s needed, especially if you’re considering using garlic as a treatment for specific health conditions.

What I can say is that if you’re brave enough to try these they WILL change you and your families mind about the power of garlic.

Garlic has been used medicinally for thousands of years — and modern science is finally catching up with what our grandmothers already knew. In our house it is the first thing I reach for at the first sign of anything coming on. What started as a curiosity became a non-negotiable.

Garlic is a truly remarkable ingredient!
Here are some of the key health properties garlic is known to have:

1. Immune System Support: Garlic is known for its ability to boost the immune system through its natural antimicrobial properties, helping the body ward off infections.
2. Cardiovascular Health: It is believed to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and improve overall heart health, thanks to compounds such as allicin.
3. Anti-inflammatory Effects: Garlic contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce inflammation in the body.
4. Antioxidant Properties: It provides antioxidants that help protect against oxidative damage, thereby supporting overall cellular health.
5. Antimicrobial Action: With natural antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, garlic has been used to prevent and treat infections for centuries.
6. Detoxification: Garlic is often cited for its ability to help the body detox by promoting the elimination of toxins.
7. Bone Health: Some studies suggest that garlic may help improve bone health by increasing estrogen in females.
8. Digestive Health: Garlic can aid digestion by stimulating the stomach lining and providing gut-friendly prebiotic fiber.

IMPORTANT! When you cut, chop, or crush garlic, it triggers a chemical reaction that leads to the formation of allicin, the compound largely responsible for garlic’s health benefits.

Avoid using pre-cut garlic from a tub; it simply won’t suffice for the best results.
Whenever possible, opt for locally sourced organic ingredients to enhance the quality.

Here’s a bit more about the process, if you nerd out like me and love to know why!

• Enzyme Activation: Garlic contains an enzyme called alliinase, which converts alliin (a natural compound in garlic) into allicin when the garlic’s cellular structure is damaged.
• Development of Allicin: Letting the chopped or crushed garlic sit for about 10-15 minutes allows time for the maximum amount of allicin to form. Allicin is known for its potent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
• Preserving Health Benefits: Once allicin is fully developed, it helps retain garlic’s health benefits even when you cook it, although high heat can reduce allicin’s effectiveness to some extent.

This simple step can enhance the healthful potential of garlic in your meals. So next time you’re preparing dishes with garlic, let it sit for a bit to make the most of its powerful properties!

Without further ado read on to learn how to maximize benefits and help your body!

First Way: Raw Garlic Magic

Why You’ll Love This:

• Simple, Easy, and Time-Efficient
• Perfect for those comfortable swallowing garlic chunks

Steps:

Take up to 4 cloves a day until you know you’ve fought off whatever it was!

• Peel and dice a garlic clove with a paring knife.
• Allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes. Set a timer!
• Swallow the garlic chunks with your preferred liquid.

*It won’t burn your mouth and it won’t taste too strong because your swallowing whole pieces.
Be sure they are not too big! don’t create a choking hazard!

Personal Tip: At the first sign of a cold, I take up to 4 cloves a day. It’s incredibly effective in dispelling whatever tries to invade! Within a 1-3 days im right back on track.

This post affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I personally use, love, and believe will add value to your family’s health!

The essentials for this recipe:

• Jars: Wide Mouth Mason Jars 16 oz 
• I highly recommend lids to make it easier to use: Wide Mouth Mason Jar Lids
• Save your fingers! Garlic Peeler Easy Roller 
• Sharp Knife for clean cuts Imarku Chef Knife – 8 Inch 
• Ball Wide Mouth Glass Mason Jars (Canada)
• Lids: Masontops Tough Tops (Canada)
• Garlic Peeler Silicone Tube Roller (Canada)
• HOSHANHO Chef’s Knife 8 inch (Canada)
  

Both of these methods work — the raw garlic is faster and more potent, the fermented honey version is gentler and more sustainable for ongoing immune support. We use both depending on the situation. Raw garlic when something hits fast, honey garlic as a daily preventative through cold and flu season.

Second Way: Fermented Garlic for Kids

Why You’ll Love This:

• Naturally sweet and easier for kids and adults to take
• Boosts immunity with maximum benefits

Store your fermented garlic honey in a cool dark cupboard — it actually improves with age. Ours has lasted months and the flavour mellows beautifully over time. Once you have made a batch you will wonder how you ever got through winter without it.

Looking for more ways to support your family’s health naturally? My 10 Magical Home Remedies for a Healthy Familycovers everything I reach for when someone in our house is feeling run down. And if coughs and sore throats are your nemesis, this post has you covered too.

And if cold season has your household running on empty — overtired kids, after school meltdowns, everyone at their limit — this post on why children fall apart after school might be the most useful thing you read today.